Protective glove



Dec. 17, 1968 H. M. KULMAN PROTECTIVE GLOVE Filed July 31. 1957 lNVE NTOR HERMAN- M. KULMAN BY @1 4 w. W

ATTORNEY United States Patent "ice 3,416,158 PROTECTIVE GLOVE Herman M. Kulman, 2309 Mont View Drive NW., Atlanta, Ga. 30305 Filed July 31, 1967, Ser. No. 657,202 1 Claim. (Cl. 2-161) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A protective glove for use by industrial and agricultural workers having a hand portion with finger and thumb receiving portions continuous therewith and a cuff which may be short or of the gauntlet type; there being protective stays of relative flexibility provided upon the back of each finger portion and on the front of the thumb stall; a wear-resistant coating is provided upon the hand and finger portions and with a thumb crotch patch being optionally secured upon the hand portion.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION There has long been recognized the need for protective gloves for industrial and agricultural workers, but more particularly for workers engaged in cutting stalk crops, such as, particularly, sugar cane. To cut such crops the stalk is grasped by one hand and the cutting effected by a sharp tool, such as a machete, and wielded by the other hand. Thus, there is a constant danger to the stalkgrasping hand. Numerous efforts have been made to produce a glove for the stalk-grasping hand but the same have not proved satisfactory in usage. Among such expedients has been gloves incorporating protective elements made of metal as for disposition across the back of the hand, as well as metallic chains or interlocking metal members of zipper character for disposition along the finger receiving portions. However, such devices have not proved to have the desired flexibility and have been prone to rust through subjection to perspiration, cane juices, etc. Other efforts have incorporated gloves made of leather which tend to stiffen after drying from absorption of moisture, so that requisite flexibility is not provided and rotting occurs after limited usage. Consequently, there has been the aim in this field of endeavor to develop a protective glove which will have longevity of usage and provide desired flexibility while presenting reliable protection against inadvertent cutting.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a protective glove which may be fabricated from a base material which permits ventilation for evaporation of perspiration and which incorporates cut-protective elements which are inherently flexible so as to allow for ready manipulation of the glove parts while simultaneously according requisite protection against inadvertent usage of the cutting tool.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a protective glove of the character stated which is uniquely designed to incorporate a cult of preselected character whether the same be of elastic material for tight fitting engagement with the wearers wrist or of the gauntlet type permitting easy access to the glove interior while providing covering for the wearers wrist and imrnediately adjacent arm portion.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a protective glove of the character stated which incorporates elements adapted for long and reliable usage. being resistant to deterioration through subjection to moisture encountered during usage, such as from perspiration, emanations of the crops cut, atmospheric moisture, etc.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a protective glove of the character stated which may be suitably coated in preselected portions as with any suita ble rubberized or plastic material for enhancing the wearability of the glove.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a protective glove of the character stated which may have applied thereon a thumb crotch patch for reinforcing the thumb adjacent area of the glove and thereby conduce tc longer wear.

It is a still further object of the present invention tc provide a protective glove which may be economically manufactured; and which is durable and reliable in usage Brief description of the drawing FIGURE 1 is a back view of a protective glove con structed in accordance with and embodying the presen invention.

FIGURE 2 is a front view of the glove illustrated ir FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal transverse sectional viev taken on the line 33 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view taker on the line 44 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is a front view of a glove constructed ir accordance with and embodying the present invention bu illustrating the same as having a thumb crotch patcl: applied thereon.

FIGURE 6 is a horizontal transverse sectional view taken on the line 66 of FIGURE 5.

Description of the preferred embodiment Referring now by reference characters to the drawing which illustrates the preferred embodiment of the presen' invention, A generally designates a protective glove comprising a hand portion 1, the interior of which is continuous with four finger parts, as indicated at 2, and 2 thumb stall 3; a gauntlet 4 is secured to the lower enc of hand portion 1 in a conventional manner. Dispose( on the rearward face of each finger portion 2 is a protec tive stay 5 being substantially of the same width as the related finger portion 2 and extending from a point im mediately adjacent the upper end extremity of the relatec finger portion 2 to the upper edge of gauntlet 4 whereb said finger protective stays substantially cover the rear face of the hand and finger portions of glove A to provide effective protection. Each stay 5 is fabricated of a synthetic material such as reinforced nylon, fibreglass, anc' the like, or may even be made from bone, for the purpose of providing simultaneously both a reliable guard ant requisite flexibility so as not to inhibit the use of the encased hand as requisite for the particular operation Furthermore, stays 5, by reason of their material 01 construction, are resistant to deterioration from moisture such as perspiration or juices and like fluids occurring it the crops being handled. Accordingly, stays 5 assure 01 protection to the users 'hand and fingers while conducing to both longevity and facile usage of glove A.

Stays 5 are maintained in operative position by means of overlying fabric sections 6 which are secured to the rear face of the respective fingers by means of lines of stitches as at 7. Thus, the said fabric sections 6, together with the adjacent portions of the related fingers 2 create a pocket 8 for snugly receiving the respective stay 5 to maintair same against undesired displacement. The lower ends 01 fabric sections 6 may be secured by being caught within a transverse seam 9 for securing gauntlet 4 to hand portion 1. A similar protective stay 10 is provided against the front portion of thumb stalll 3 being maintained therein by means of an overlying fabric section 11 secured as by stitching along its margins as at 12, to the said thumb stall and with the lower end being similarly caught within transverse seam 9. Thus, in the position of wear of glove A protective stay 10 will protect the rearward portion of the wearers thumb.

There may be also secured upon the rear face of glove A a gathering band 13 fabricated of suitable elastic material and being presented in transverse overlying relationship to the lower rearward portions of fingers 2 with its ends suitably secured within glove side seams 14, 15. Between its points of attachment, band 13 is free so as to exert a pulling force for assuring close maintenance of glove A upon the wearers hand.

Glove A is preferably fabricated of a suitable textile material, whether natural or synthetic, which will allow of ventilation, as well as for adequate strength for good wearing qualities; such materials for producing the so- :atlled glove shells may be flannels, terry cloth, lisle, or plastics or any suitable combination of synthetics or natural fibers. Furthermore, it is preferable that the forwardly directed portions of glove A, such as hand portion 1 and the forward face of fingers 2, as well as the entire thumb stall 3, be coated, as by dipping, by a suitable vinyl, neoprene, latex rubber, or other plastic or rubberized coatings which may or may not contain silicone. Such coating, as indicated at B, preferably extends downwardly on the rear face of glove A to a point at least midway fingers 2. Such coating B serves to enhance the wearability of glove A, as well as adding strength to glove A in the areas which are continuously contacted during use. The coatings also serve to resist soiling from fluids discharged by the stalks being cut and also strengthen the overlaid seams or lines of stitching to render same proof against inadvertent rupture.

Referring now to FIGURE 5, A designates a protective glove constructed substantially identically as glove A hereinabove described but being provided with a thumb crotch patch as indicated at 16. The said patch 16 is fabricated of a durable plastic or rubber-like material having requisite strength and flexibility and being engaged upon hand portion 1 immediately rearwardly of thumb stall 3 extending from the adjacent side margin of glove A to a point substantially centrally of the palm of hand portion 1 and being of such limited height as to terminate spacedly downwardly of the lower end portions of finger portions 2. Said patch may be secured in any desired fashion upon glove A such as through adhesives and the like. Patch 16 in use serves to add considerable strength to the immediate portion of glove A which is subject to the greatest contact with the stalk being gripped thereby strengthening glove A against the ravages of excessive usage and serving to provide an adequate barrier against any corrosive or other damaging properties of juices and the like flowing from the stalks being cut.

Although gloves A and A have herein shown as incorporating gauntlet 4, it is to be recognized that the wrist :overing portion of said gloves may be of any predetermined character, such as, particularly, of tubular nature being of elastic material for close hugging of the users wrist. Also, short cufis may be utilized and as indicated in FIGURES 2 and portions of such wrist coverings may have applied thereon coating B.

Therefore, in view of the foregoing, it will be seen :hat the present invention provides a glove having the desired attributes for effective and safe usage by industrial and agricultural workers and, more particularly, those having to hold various stalk crops while manipulating a cut-ting instrument with the other hand. Glove A is designed for long usage regardless of atmospheric, as well as environmental, factors encountered during conditions of wear, as well as to more particularly assure of needed protection against accidentally potentially injuring contact with the cutting tool but without sacrifice of flexibility so that the glove of the present invention may be easily used.

It should be understood that changes and modifications in the formation, construction, and arrangement and combination of the several parts of the protective glove may be made and substituted for these herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A protective glove for industrial and agricultural use comprising a body having a hand portion, finger portions, a thumb stall, and a gauntlet, a fabric section secured in overlying relationship to the rearwardly directed face of each finger portion and on the forwardly presented face of said thumb stall for defining a related pocket, a pluralty of flexible protective stay elements, a protective stay element being snugly received within each pocket, means for maintaining said protective stay elements against displacement from the related pocket, a gathering band provided for extension transversely across the lower rearward portion of said protective stay elements, means for maintaining said gathering band securely at its ends to the adjacent areas of the glove, a thumb crotch pad mounted on the hand portion of said glove immediately adjacent said thumb stall, said thumb crotch pad extending from the adjacent side margin of said glove to a point substantially centrally of the forwardly directed face of said hand portion, each of said protective stay elements being of elongated character, extending from the upper end of the respective finger portions and thumb stall to the upper end of said gauntlet, said protective stay elements being substantially the same width as the related finger portions and said thumb stall whereby said protective stay elements substantially cover the rear face of said hand and finger portions of said glove for effective protection.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 709,595 9/1902 Carson 2161 2,295,507 9/ 1942 Wells et al. 2-161 1,673,517 6/1928 Kurz 2--161 2,710,971 6/1955 Hall 2-161 2,737,663 3/1956 Harris 2--16l 2,831,196 4/1958 Scheiber 2161 2,838,759 6/ 1958 Tassie 2-167 2,862,208 12/1958 Castro 2-161 3,229,306 1/1966 Bazar 2161 FOREIGN PATENTS 649,632 1/ 1951 Great Britain.

I ORDAN D. FRANKLIN, Brimary Examiner.

G. V. LARKIN, Assistant Examiner. 

